NAHL announces Bauer Divisional Stars of the Week
Honors this week go to Brookings forward Nick Cardelli (Central), New Jersey forward Gordie Helmuth (East), Magicians forward Mitch Slattery (Midwest) and Shreveport forward Cam Cook (South).
The North American Hockey League (NAHL) today announced the Divisional Stars of the Week presented by Bauer Hockey for the week ending March 5, 2017. The Bauer Hockey Divisional Stars of the Week is a weekly feature during the 2016-17 regular season that honors the top performing players in each of the four NAHL divisions. Only players that are nominated by their respective teams are considered for the Divisional Players of the Week award.
Central Division Star of the Week: Nick Cardelli, forward, Brookings Blizzard
Brookings forward Nick Cardelli, 19, picked up in March right where he left off in February. The 5’10/175 lbs. native of Wood Dale, Illinois, who was the NAHL Forward of the Month in February, had four points (2 goals, 2 assists) and was a +2 in a weekend road split in Cloquet against the Minnesota Wilderness. On Friday, Cardelli had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 overtime loss and on Saturday, he scored the game-winning goal and had another assist in a 4-0 shutout win. Cardelli spent Monday and Tuesday playing for the Central Division team at the 2017 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament. He is 2nd in team scoring this season with 47 points in 48 games played for the 3rd place Blizzard. “Nick continued his great play after Top Prospects with only two days rest he proved he is one of the top players in the league every game,” said Brookings head coach Dan Daikawa.
2nd Star: Jordan Fralich, D, Bismarck Bobcats
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Jesse Farabee, F, Minnesota Wilderness – Tim Faulkner, D, Brookings Blizzard – Logan Jenuwine, F, Aberdeen Wings – Lukas Millen, F, Bismarck Bobcats – Zach Mills, F, Minnesota Wilderness – Carter Roo, F, Aberdeen Wings
East Division Star of the Week: Gordie Helmuth, forward, New Jersey Titans
New Jersey Titans forward Gordie Helmuth, 20, had a big week as he helped lead the Titans to two home wins against the Northeast Generals. The 6’0/180 lbs. native of Royal Oak, Michigan, had four goals and was a +5 in the two wins. On Friday, Helmuth had a goal in a 12-6 win. On Saturday, he had a hat-trick in a 7-2 win, which completed the weekend sweep. Helmuth also was selected to and played in the 2017 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament for the East Division team, where he shined at the event, recording a goal and an assist. “Gordie has had a tremendous year for our team. He was a great addition for us early in the season and has continued to grow and develop since arriving in New Jersey. Gordie continue to provide offense for our team while sound in his own zone and being hard to play against. Gordie is going to be a steal for a NCAA Division I college program,” said Titans head coach Craig Doremus.
2nd Star: Hunter Alden, F, New Jersey Titans
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): None
Midwest Division Star of the Week: Mitch Slattery, forward, Minnesota Magicians
As the Minnesota Magicians were picking up a weekend sweep in Kenai River this past weekend, they looked to their leading scorer Mitch Slattery, 20, and goalie Ivan Prosvetov to lead the team to wins. Slattery (5’11/175) had a big weekend as the native of Lino Lakes, Minnesota, had a goal and five assists for a six point weekend, along with a +4 rating. On Friday, Slattery, who also played in the 2017 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament for the Midwest Division team on Monday and Tuesday, had a goal and three assists in a 6-3 win. On Saturday, he added two more assists in a 5-1 win. For the season, Slattery leads the Magicians in scoring with 52 points in 43 games played. “Mitch has been consistent offensively all year for our team. He has he ability to make his linemates better every shift as well,” said Magicians head coach Scott Meyer.
2nd Star: Ivan Prosvetov, G, Minnesota Magicians
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Brennan Blaszczak, F, Springfield Jr. Blues - Hampus Eriksson, F, Fairbanks Ice Dogs – Aaron McPheters, D, Fairbanks Ice Dogs – Brandon Puricelli, F, Springfield Jr. Blues - Jacob Schmidt-Svejstrup, F, Coulee Region Chill – Caleb Schroer, F, Coulee Region Chill
South Division Star of the Week: Cam Cook, forward, Shreveport Mudbugs
Thanks to two wins in Odessa this past weekend, the Shreveport Mudbugs took over 2nd place in the South Division. Forward Cam Cook, 19, was a goal-scoring machine during the sweep as the native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, recorded four goals in the two wins. On Friday, Cook (5’11/190) had two goals, including the game-winner, in a 4-2 win. On Saturday, Cook scored two more goals in a 4-3 shootout win. For the season, Cook is 4th in team scoring with 33 points in 46 games played. “Cam has become an everyday competitor for us. He is a hard skating forward who makes every attempt to play the game right way. He has made great strides in all areas of his game this season, and I know he's hungry for more,” said Mudbugs head coach Karlis Zirnis.
2nd Star: Marshall Bowery, F, Topeka RoadRunners
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Julian Biondo, F, Lone Star Brahmas – Nathan Bryer, F, Corpus Christi IceRays – Alec Calvaruso, G, Lone Star Brahmas – Eric Cooley, F, Amarillo Bulls – Max Harper, F, Topeka RoadRunners – George Mika, F, Amarillo Bulls – Brendan Miller, F, Corpus Christi IceRays – John Roberts, G, Shreveport Mudbugs
